Assateague Explorer: Wild Pony Boat Tour Experience

Assateague Explorer boat tour, a local business established in 2001, has provided thousands with the opportunity to observe wild ponies in their indigenous environment. The tour was highlighted on ABC’s Good Morning America.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Assateague Island NS-VA Unit - A 90-minute narrated boat tour along the shoreline of Assateague Island where wild ponies roam. A great chance of seeing wild ponies and other wildlife such as dolphins, eagles and shorebirds.

What's Included
  • Narration with local knowledge of the island and its wildlife
Location
Assateague Explorer Pony Watching Cruise & Kayaking
Curtis Merritt Harbor Drive
The Assateague Explorer captain and the crew will meet you at farthest left side of the harbor at dock #3. After you enter the harbor, stay left, past the restrooms/harbor master building, and go to the very end of the road. Look for the dock #3 sign and the "Assateague Explorer" sign.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(311 Ratings)
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Larabae
Aug 23, 2025
Wild ponies - I and my best friend had the Best experience so far,saw some wild ponies and dolphins.sunset view was amazing.Dont think about it just visit 😊
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W8091wwamyn
Aug 23, 2025
Amazing!! - Absolutely amazing! The views were so beautiful. We saw wild horses at the lighthouse and dolphins on the way there. Jenny and the Captain made sure to call everything out so we didn’t miss anything!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C4368puwillc
Aug 23, 2025
Great stuff - Good stuff. Stuff was really good. I loved that stuff. Super fun we saw ponies and dolphins. Guide was cool and stuff and good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Road22438183081
Aug 22, 2025
One of a kind experience - Awesome yearly experience. Captain Mark always goes out of his way to provide as much of an up close experience as he can, safely. This trip we had pods of Dolphins swimming right next to the boat for quite a long time! Unfortunately no horses due to high tide but it is important to remember, these are ALL wild animals and is never a guarantee to see them, not a zoo. This is our 6+ yearly trip on the Assateague Explorer and will continue to be a yearly tradition with this great company/staff.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Danilomm9414da
Aug 22, 2025
Great experience - Great experience. I could see so many dolphins and also an amazing bald eagle. It's really worth it. I recommend going at 6pm
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Artemism707
Aug 22, 2025
Amazing Time!! - Jenn and Capt. Mark were amazing! We didn’t see many horses because of the hurricane and the flooding in the marsh however, we got to see lots of dolphins and even a white dolphin!! We also saw so many birds including a female bald eagle!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
B9439iokellym
Aug 22, 2025
Good time had by all - Had a great time enjoyed seeing dolphins and eagle. Beautiful scenery all around. Staff was nice too. Great girls trip with our daughters.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U4568irjenniferp
Aug 22, 2025
Sunset tour - Very friendly Captain and tour guide. Got to see some dolphins and an Eagle. Beautiful pictures of sun setting over ocean
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joseph_l
Aug 25, 2025
Disappointed overcharged - Wasn’t as good as expected , Went to see wild horses , No Horses ! If I wanted to go dolphin watching I would have sighed up for it ! Disappointed !
Review provided by Viator
Dmitri_z
Aug 23, 2025
Poor customer service - I received a call at 10:30am asking if we could switch tour times because we were the only 2 on the 2:30 tour. As we were on the road, 2 hours away, I didn't think we could make it to the 12:30 they were suggesting. However, the gentleman who called us asked us to try, and to keep in touch. I sent 2 screenshots of our ETA at various times and determined by 11:30 that we would not make it in time for the 12:30. I texted that we would need to take a refund and he said, "It's not cancelled yet, so still come." I stopped at the Visitor Center, inquired of other companies, as my confidence was not high that this tour company would hold the tour. I called at 2:20 to let him know we were at the dock. The gentleman had to "call the office" and then Joy from the office called me, reporting that it would be cancelled. I understand cancelations happen for various reasons, however, they just kept leading me on. They should have told me at 11:30 when I called that the 2:30 would be cancelled instead of encouraging me to, "keep coming!" My paraplegic daughter and I were left standing on the dock...literally. Joy wasn't apologetic, she had an, "oh well" attitude and suggested we drive to an overlook to try to see the ponies. This was very poor business. Good business practice would have been to assist us in finding a tour that had availability. Just like the airlines do when they cancel a flight. While business competitors, these captains are all acquaintances and it would have been prudent for the Assateague captain, who walked right past us, to lend a helping hand. In the end, we found a competitor who was going out on a tour. They made it happen, including calling another captain over to lend assistance to safely load and unload my daughter's wheelchair. Assateague Explorer, ya need to step up your customer service, be genuine & honest with your guests, and stop leading them on.
Review provided by Viator
From $59
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).